Help installing NVIDIA Graphics Driver

[tommyers]

Hi,

I am a brand new Linux user. I have installed Debian on my new machine. I am only able to use command line as the installation states that no graphics driver is installed.

I have been to the NVDIA website and downloaded the linux driver:

Linux x64 (AMD64/EM64T)

I now have this file on CD. My problem is that I do not really know how to access the CD drive and install the file - so I can then use the GUI version of Debian.

I can log on to the root directory. I have tried various commands including the mount command etc ....

I would appreciate a step by step command line approach in helping me install this file.

Regards,
Tom

[Dapper Dan]

I don't use regular Debian, but I imagine that your cdrom or dvd is going to be in either /media or /mnt. So you'd mount the CD (file system) with either:

mount /media/cdrom

Or:

mount /mnt/cdrom

You should hear the cdrom whirring up.

Next, go into the cd:

cd /mnt/cdrom

To see if NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-173.14.09-pkg2.run is there, do:

ls

Once in the same directory where the .run file is, you will do as root or "su"...

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-173.14.09-pkg2.run

...and follow the instructions. Big question... You do or do nor have Internet? Really good if you do because you likely will need the source packages and all the compile stuff to compile the Nvidia driver. IF you are connected:

apt-get install build-essential

Like I say, I don't use straight Debian too regularly so I hope this helps in getting you a little farther along.

[loopback]

You never stated if you are using Stable (Etch) or Testing (Lenny). Maybe you're one of those 'damn the torpedos' type of newbies and installed Unstable (Sid).

The post above is the 'Debian' way. Should work if your using the Stable/Etch branch of Debian. If your using Testing/Lenny it won't work. Debian has yet to get this up and working for Lenny. So, the only recourse for you and others using Lenny is to do this: Howto: Getting the nvidia driver to work in Lenny

I'm a Testing/Lenny user. And this method worked like a charm.

P.S. By the way, this site is a very good one for Debian. Might check it out.

[tommyers]

Thanks for the advice so far .....

Firstly, I have made some progress! and to answer one of your questions I am using the stable (Etch) version - I thought that I would give myself a fighting chance!

I can now read the cdrom move the file (.tar.gz) and unpack it and execute the NVIDIA driver! The NVIDIA driver complains that it cannot find a precompiled kernel, and currently I don't have the internet connected to this machine, it then says that it will try to compile the kernel - but then states it cannot do this either!

I have read round and managed (I think) to install and compile a kernel. Now when I run the driver, the issue is the linker!

I have managed to find "binutils 2.18" which contains a GNU Linker. I can unpack the file, but I am unsure how to install the linker and link it in a way that the driver set-up can see - thoughts?

Regards,
Tom

[loopback]

tommy, old chap. Back up and go to that link I posted. Stay away from the tarballs for the time being. That link will make it easy as pie. So why try the hard way?

And by the way, you'll need to hook up to the internet. There is a way around that too but again, why do it the hard way?

For Gods sake, man! You're using Debian. And one of the reasons Debian is so popular is because it make installing a breeze. Work smarter, not harder!

[tommyers]

Hi Loopback,

tommy, old chap.

A very British saying .... !

Here is where I am - having checked out your the recommended link:

If I enter:

cc=gcc-4.1 sh [name of install file]

the nvidia installer boots up and takes me through various set-ups, but then its states that it is unable to load the kernel 'nvidia.ko'.

If I enter:

cc=gcc-4.1 sh [name of install file] -k$(uname -r)

everything goes through fine and the installation completes, however when I try to run x server (startx) to get some GUI's then I still have the same problem!

When I reboot and I get an error message stating that x server cannot be run and when I inspect the error log it says:

Error inserting nvidia

/lib/modules/2.6.18-6-amd64/kernel/drivers/video/nvidia.ko : invalid module format .......

Arggggggghhhhhhh!

Regards,
Tom

[loopback]

Tom, make sure you have the gcc-4.1 compiler installed on your Lenny. Go to Synaptic: System > Adminstration >Synaptic Package Manager.

Search for gcc. You will probably have the compiler gcc 4.2 and maybe the compiller gcc 4.3. Install the gcc 4.1 compiler. Synaptic will tell you that you will have to install these other dependencys. Do so. Accept it.

Then go back to the link I gave you and install the Nvidia drivers per instructions.

[gruven]

Ok, you guys are making this harder than it needs to be.

If you have internet, then you can use module-assistant

apt-get install module-assistant build-essential
m-a a-i nvidia
apt-get install nvidia-glx

but then again, does debian not package the nvidia driver with the official kernels it releases (Debian -- Package Search Results -- nvidia You have to use the non-free and contrib repositories to grab the nvidia stuff I believe. Just enable them in your /etc/apt/sources.list

You have not told us what nvidia card you have, so therefor it will be hard to tell you which nvidia driver you actually need. If the official debian compiled driver is too old for you, then to do it the debian way you will have to get it from lenny or sid.

Now, you can use either the "vesa" or "nv" driver (depending on which nvidia chipset you have) temporarily to get you into X so that you will feel more comfortable in Linux (since most people feel more comfortable with a gui).